Allen West concedes Congressional race to Patrick Murphy

Freshman Congressman and tea party favorite Allen West (R-Fla.) has conceded to political newcomer Patrick Murphy.

According to POLITICO, West has acknowledged that he could not surmount his 1,904 vote deficit to automatically trigger a recount of all votes throughout parts of Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties.

At 0.58 percent, the difference was less than 250 votes.

Conceding defeat, West told POLITICO early Tuesday:

“For two weeks since Election Day, we have been working to ensure every vote is counted accurately and fairly. We have made progress towards that goal, thanks to the dedication of our supporters and their unrelenting efforts to protect the integrity of the democratic process. While many questions remain unanswered, today I am announcing that I will take no further action to contest the outcome of this election.”

West congratulated Murphy, stating: “I pray he will serve his constituents with honor and integrity, and put the interests of our nation before his own.”

In one of the most expensive Congressional races ever run, West had been expected to win the swing district. He outraised Murphy nearly 4-to-1 and enjoyed almost universal name recognition against a candidate making his first attempt for public office.

Following an election night loss, West and his volunteer legal team focused on Gertrude Walker, the now embattled St. Lucie County Supervisor of Elections. When Walker admitted that “mistakes” had occurred in a rush to report election results, the outspoken Congressman went to court.

After judges in two counties declined to intervene in the election, the St. Lucie County Canvassing Board voted 2-to-1 and ordered a retabulation of votes cast in the county.

“While there are certainly still inaccuracies in the results and the actions of the St. Lucie County and Palm Beach County Supervisors of Elections rightly raise questions in my mind and for many voters,” West said in his concession statement, “after much analysis and yesterday’s recount in St. Lucie County, our legal team does not believe there are enough over-counted, undercounted or fraudulent votes to change the outcome of the election.”

Here is Congressman Allen West’s statement in full:

“For two weeks since Election Day, we have been working to ensure every vote is counted accurately and fairly. We have made progress towards that goal, thanks to the dedication of our supporters and their unrelenting efforts to protect the integrity of the democratic process. While many questions remain unanswered, today I am announcing that I will take no further action to contest the outcome of this election.

“While there are certainly still inaccuracies in the results and the actions of the St. Lucie County and Palm Beach County Supervisors of Elections rightly raise questions in my mind and for many voters, after much analysis and yesterday’s recount in St. Lucie County, our legal team does not believe there are enough over-counted, undercounted or fraudulent votes to change the outcome of the election.

“While a contest of the election results might have changed the vote totals, we do not have evidence that the outcome would change. Given the extremely high evidentiary hurdles involved in a successful challenge, I will not ask my generous supporters to help fund a drawn-out, expensive legal effort with little chance of success. Therefore, we will not contest the certification or challenge the seating of Congressman-Elect Murphy.

“Serving the people in the House of Representatives has been among the highest honors of my life, but this seat does not belong to me, or for that matter, to any individual. It belongs to the people. I want to congratulate my opponent, Patrick Murphy, as the new Congressman from 18th Congressional District. I pray he will serve his constituents with honor and integrity, and put the interests of our nation before his own.

“I must thank my wife Angela, and my daughters Aubrey and Austen for their support, patience, understanding and most of all, love. These are three of the toughest women I know. They have sent me off to defend our nation overseas at war and to Capitol Hill to serve our nation in the House of Representatives. They have all handled the challenges of these last few months, and the last many years, with amazing grace. I know they will be my side for whatever is our next chapter.

“I want to thank my congressional and campaign staff for their service, and most importantly, I want to thank all of our tremendous supporters who provided their time and money to power our campaign. I am humbled by the dedication and perseverance of our supporters, and their commitment to a free and prosperous America. I cannot thank them enough for all they have done for our campaign, but most importantly, what they have done, and will continue to do for our country. None of us should let the outcome discourage us. We should only redouble our resolve.

“Above all, I want to thank God for his blessings, and for blessing me with the opportunity to serve.

“Only God knows what is in store for each of us. I have dedicated my life to serving this nation, and the results of this election will not change my purpose. Just as I did in the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan, just as I did on Capitol Hill, I will continue to fight for our Republic.

“Our nation will not overcome our challenges overnight, and the road ahead for each one of us will not be easy. But this nation would never have become that shining beacon of light if our founders had chosen the easy path 236 years ago. We all must proudly continue their legacy.

“For the protection and preservation of our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, I shall remain steadfast and loyal. God bless you and God bless these United States of America.”

A request for comment from the Murphy campaign has not been answered.

With Congressman Allen West’s official concession, Patrick Murphy will be the new representative from Florida’s 18th congressional district.